Operation: Uzumaki
by UltimaShockwave
Summary: With a complete accident occurring in the midst of the Kyuubi Attack, Naruto goes missing, only to re-appear years later under unique conditions. Just what can somebody, who was raised in a different world, do when they don't even recognize their family? AU-Marine/Modern Naruto.
1. Prologue

**This is my first story that I'm posting, and hopefully it'll do good.**

**Before anybody judges me, this story was adopted from X10AShadowfox, who posted the original story US Marine Naruto. Check out their story, it is the original. **

**I do not intend to copy their story, nor will I take credit for any of it.**

**"Operation: Uzumaki" is, however, my idea.**

**With all the formalities said and done, I hope your enjoy the story!**

**Read and Review! Hope you enjoy!**

**A warning, I am shipping to Paris Island for Boot Camp in a month, as I am joining the Marines. (Real Life) As such, I'll be gone for roughly three months, which means their will be no real updates for a while, starting September. :/**

...

The moon was full, and the night sky was as clear as a smooth Summer's day. Unfortunately for the people of Konoha, a night like this, in all its beauty, was not a night to enjoy. Rather then being able to enjoy the night's peaceful silence, the citizens were being instead treated to the air filled with the roars of chaos, and the scattering of crowds.

Upon this very moment, the Kyuubi was now unleashing its fury upon on the village, destroying the homes beneath its paws; easily killing the villagers by the dozen. For the citizens of Konoha, they all knew more then well, just what the Kyubi was.

It was a force of nature, a treMendoza power, by which mountains were leveled, as toy blocks to a child's kick; oceans parted, as if they were mere puddles. Many should have wondered, as to just why the Kyuubi was attacking their village, reigning destruction. Their thoughts, however, centered on merely surviving, as the village's shinobi attempted to retaliate with everything they had, praying for a miracle to stop the beast from burning down, and turning their very homes and family, into mere rubble and corpses.

As the numerous battles precided, the shinobi began to suddenly gain hope, as the shadow of their great leader appeared. From the far distance, on top of the famous summon toad, Gamabunta, they felt the ground shake, as the duo landed on the Kyubi.

He was the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato.

Immediately taking note of the danger that a large-scale battle would pose to the surrounding village, Minato silently cursed. The fight had yet to start, but already, he would have to use a relatively fair-sized portion of his chakra.

As he awaited for the Kyuubi to make a move, Minato focused his chakra, concentrating a heavy amount on the beast's location. Leaning back, the Kyubi began to build up it's own chakra into a dense ball, finally ready to unleash another devastating blast.

Finally seeing his window of opportunity, Minato sped through numerous hand signs, as he allowed the Hirashi no Justu to teleport him and the Kyubi, away from Konoha to a secluded area roughly 10 miles away.

It was only then, that all the shinobi of Konoha bearded witness to a strong, and powerful explosion in the distance.

Never before, had a single jutsu shook the ground so horribly, on their lifetime.

...

He would have been lying through his very teeth, had he ever said that the blast emanating from the Kyuubi, was weak. Minato could only stand watch, as the mere proximity of its charka burned away at the nearby forest. As the chakra collided with the ground, just a mile from the area where Minato transported it to, the Hokage felt the air around them condense, as the vile chakra bore down upon him. Even without hitting him, he could feel it's power...

Leaping to the ground, at Gamabunta's feet, Minato stood to his feet, before rushing forward to his wife, Kushina. As they made quick eye-contact, he could already tell, that they had both bore testament to the destruction that was capable by the Kyubi. In the midst of the darkness and despair, however, both Minato and Kushina could easily hear the cries of their greatest treasure; the one thing, that they would both die for.

"Minato..." whispered the red-haired Uzumaki matriarch, as she gently transferred their infant child, to her husband's arms.

Holding his son, Minato securely grasped the baby, tears threatening to flood his eyes, as the only person that they loved the most, even more so then their own lives. With them was their newborn, Uzumaki Naruto.

Even though Minato and Kushina were both happy at the fact that Naruto was alright, they both knew that if they didn't stop the Kyubi soon, their precious legacy; alive or dead, would Never get to see a peaceful world.

Thinking of only one final resort, Minato knew what needed to be done.

Traditional jutsu, no matter what magnitude, would never break the Kyuubi's defenses, much less scratch it. With that u mind, he knew that their only chance was at a powerful sealing.

One that required a sacrifice...

Practically reading her husband's mind, Kushina swallowed her own fear, as she formulated her tactics.

Rushing in first, in order to initiate the assault on the Kyubi, Kushina held out her arms, as Minato created the barrier to contain Kyubi from escaping.

Shooting forth a series of chakra-chains, Kushina directed them around the Kyuubi, navigating them so that they could temporarily immobilize it. Mustering what little energy she had, the Uzumaki was just barely managing to hold it in place. It didn't take long for Minato to notice how weak Kushina was getting, from her Sean's recent release, making her the now-former Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi.

He could only imagine, at how having the Kyubi being ripped apart from her very being, was leading to her lack of strength. Despite all those setbacks, however, she was still fighting and clawing at the very jaws of death.

She wanted to protect the two people that she loved the most, by making sure the Kyubi was gone forever.

Bearing witness to his wife's courage, Minato saw what she was doing, and instantly decided on what was needed to done, in order to commit what was needed not only for Konoha, but also for the future.

As Ksuhina began to form hand-signs, Minato interrupted her, catching the kunoichi by surprise.

"Kushina, don't…not as the man who was named Hokage, but as the man, whom you promised a life to, and as the man who was mad father to the son that you gave me…I can't let you die like this..." he stated, not once turning to face her.

He knew, that if he caught one glimpse of her face...of his wife's torn look...he would hesitate, on what he was about to do.

"B-but…Minato…this is the only way …we can be sure to… sreal that monster...away…" gasped Kushina, her eyes heavy from the exhaustion of birth and battle.

"I wish we had more time...to enjoy this..." whispered a tearful Minato, as he cradled his son.

"D-on't cry…after all, todat is our son's birthday…and the only thing I regret is not to...being be able to see him grow up…" replied Kushina, as she walked slowly over to her family.

Despite the urge to scream at the top of his lungs, at the injustice he was forced to bear, Minato remained peechless as Kushina continued.

"Bit when I stop, to truly think about it all…the thought of us being one happy family…I couldn't be anymore happier, even if only for the shortest moment…" she smiled, before lightly coughing out a bit of blood.

Minato was silent for moment, until he felt a surge of determination spread throughout his body.

"Kushina…save your strength...you'll be going to need that in order to see Naruto again..." he stated.

Kushina cast him a confused glance, until Minato he explained his meaning.

"I will seal your remaining chakra inside Naruto with the Hakke Fuin, and once that's finished, then I will take the Kyubi down with me...it'll only do it, if a sacrifice is in place, but I can give myself up, in order to use the Shiki Fujin" he quoted, while gently placing Naruto on the ground.

Widening her eyes, Kushina griped the back of his coat, afraid of the results, because if Minato did use the sealing jutsu's power, then he would die.

Feeling her concern, Minato thought back to what had happened earlier that night, and chose to quickly tell Kushina on what little information he knew.

It was because a masked man had chosen to release the Kyuubi from Kushina, that all this happened.

He then thought about the days, when Jiraiya used to talk to him about the "Child of Prophecy" and how he believed now, that it was his son. Only he was born in this moment of time, at the very second that he was needed.

He had already told Kushina that he would seal the Yang-half of the Kyuubi, along with Kushina's remaining chakra, with the Hakke. With half of its strength gone, he would be able to easily take down the Yin-half with him into death.

With Minato starting to create the hand signs, a familiar hand grabbed his wrist. Minato could already see the Shinigami beginning to form, as the figure beside him sealed themselves into the jutsu.

"No...you're needed here, more so then I am, Minato..."

In that briefest second, without either Minato or Kushina realizing it; Sarutobi Hiruzen, had managed to replace their sacrifice, with his own.

...

Flashback

_When Gamabunta had first landed on the Kyubi, the Sandaime managed to catch a glimpse of Minato getting ready to use his Hirashi no Jutsu. He a already knew that his successor intended to teleport them to another location, one where the Kyubi would be unable to cause any further significant damage to Konoha. Cursing, he quickly made his way to the Kyubi, sprinting past streets as he leaped past his fellow shinobi._

_"No!" he roared, as he reached forward, just barely managing to latch onto the Kyuubi's fur, just in time as Minato teleported them to whatever location he had in mind._

_Despite being out-cold for a few minutes, Hiruzen awoke in time to see Minato putting up the barrier to keep the Kyubi contained. He was then readying himself to aid Minato, when he saw the Yodaime bring forth Kushina and, from what he could guess, the infant that was his newborn son._

_Running toward the pair, he was able to overhear Kushina speak about sacrifice herself, to save Minato and Naruto. It was then, that Minato began to explain the events that lead up to this conflict, eventually being up the masked person who had Kushina._

_The same man, who had killed his wife and the medics that helped deliver the couple's son._

_Remembering the moments he had lived through, the countless shinobi that had died in war, and on missions, for the sake of Konoha...he couldn't help, but agree with the decision._

_Of course, he had other plans, in certain aspects of it._

_He was old, and a prideful, albeit kind, man...but, even he knew that Minato needed to live, as well as Kushina. As the former Hokage, everybody within Konoha, was a child to him._

_And no parent, should ever be forced to bury their own children..._

_Unbeknownst to everyone, the Sandaime had taught himself a bit of fuinjutsu in case an emergency ever arose, that The Professor of Shinobi was forced to end personally._

_With his vast collection, he decided to use one particular jutsu, to seal the Kyubi and spare Minato, as well as use another jutsu that would save Kushina's life._

_Knowing what life would be like for an orphan, he knew that their child would need them in order to grow with love and compassion. No child should live, not knowing the love of their parents._

End Flashback

...

With his sudden appearance, Minato and Kushina merely stared, as they froze in total shock. They were both surprised to see him there, but it was Kushina who was the first to ask him, why he was there.

Silently nodding at them, the elder shinobi smiled calmly, as he turned to face the Shinigami.

"It is the greatest honor in service, a Hokage can hold...to know that they were able to truly shape the legacy of future generations...this is my gift to the village...and to young Naruto-kun..."

"Hiruzen-sama! You can't! The village needs yo-"

"No, the village needs Minato...I have long since passed my prime, and I have long since needed a good death...while Naruto not only needs his father, but his mother even more...the truth of the matter is, that I overheard everything on what Minato said… and I have to agree that about this decision…my only objection, is that I would be the one to do it…" stated Hiruzen.

Kushina gasped in surprise, but before she was allowed to argue with him, the Sandaime spoke once more.

"Kushina…I've grown old…I have lost my wife, because of that masked man…the only thing I could do now, as my final legacy. is secure the future for not only your son…but for the next generation, which you and Minato must lead..." he continued, as the Shinigami sank it's blade into his body.

Unleashing the Shiki Fujin upon the Kyubi, the three shinobi of Konoha watched as the Shinigami ripped away half of the Kyubi's soul; sealing it within itself.

In all his decades of experience, even Hiruzen was amazed on how easily the Shinigami dominated even the Kyuubi, before his body numbed down.

As he began to seal the Yin-half of its soul inside him, Kushina made her way to Minato and drew a bit of his blood to perform the summoning jutsu, before he was able to summon Gamatoru, the sealing toad, to the battle field.

Hiruzen saw this and thought it as a sense of good timing, as he was quickly running out of chakra himself, due to the Hakke Fuin.

Looking around, the toad was surprised to be summoned under the current circumstances. Minato, however, instantly explained on what was happening, and handed him a scroll, pleading the toad to take it to Jiraiya. Nodding, the toad vanished in a cloud of smoke.

Once it was done, the Sandaime sealed the rest of Kyubi into Naruto. With that, the shinigami, who had his and the Kyuubi's souls ready to be devoured into his stomach, where they would battle for all eternity, began to vanish. Before he could be fully sealed, Hiruzen used the last of his strength to perform one last jutsu, transferring the last bit of strength he held to Kushina's, hoping it would be enough for her to survive the Kyubi being extracted from her body.

With Kushina now having a chance to live, Hiruzen turned to see Minato struggling to recover from the shock.

"With this… I can leave the future of Konoha to this family…since I know that you can shape the boy's path towards his destiny...I know that he will help lead his generation to a brighter future when the time comes..." he smiled, as the last remaining life, left his body.

For once in their lives, they were emotionally torn.

Kushina was saddened at the memory of Hiruzen, a man who was a father to Konoha, dying in front of her very eyes. Yet, she was also very grateful to him, now that he had not only saved her life, but her family's as well as all of Konoha. She saw Minato starting to stir, before he fell to his knees, in pure frustration.

As she watched him break down, she wrapped her arms gently around him; their son sleeping peacefully behind the two.

She couldn't have been anymore happy, knowing that she and Minato would be able to live life with their son...

Of course, it didn't last for long.

Before either could react, a strange light appeared around Naruto. Kushina and Minato each gasped, and lunged forward, attempting to get to him. They barely managed to grasp his blanket, when the light disappeared, along with their son.

"NARUTO!" she screamed.

As Minato landed with a heavy thud alongside Kushina, he heard his wife starting to cry.

She was crying for the disappearance of her baby.

"DAMN IT!" he roared, as he pulled the blanket to his chest, before they remembering the masked man, who had started this.

"I'll kill you!" they swore in unison, as the couple held each other tightly.

As reinforcements arrived, both Kushina and Minato just looked into the night sky and cried in tears, knowing that their family was forever incomplete.

As the shinobi gathered, help them back to the village, and to take Hiruzen's body back to Konoha, Kushina made a silent prayer that her son remained safe.

...

It was a dark and stormy night in Paris Island, South Carolina, one that rarely ever came. As the loud thunder and flashing lightning continued along, bringing strong winds with the heavy rain that poured onto the ground, the sounds of wailing echoed throughout the air.

"Who the hell is crying!? Which one of these recruits had a breakdown!?" yelled one of the present drill instructors, as he whipped his head around to catch a glimpse of who was crying.

"Sir! These recruits have found an infant just outside! He was soaking wet from the rain, but we brought him inside!" answered a young man, as he ran up to the D.I.

"An in-infant!? Here!?" asked the Marine instructor, as he watched the recruits carry in the wailing form.

"Sir! What shall we do with the child!?" asked a young girl, as she cradled the infant on her arms. With that simple question, the entire present room turned their attention to the D.I. who was now biting his lip on thought.

"Fetch me the phone! Get that baby some warm and dry blankets, and make sure it stays away from anything remotely cold, understood!?" he yelled, as the recruits jumped to their feet.

"Yes, sir!"

"Don't let even a single scratch come to that infant!"

"Aye, sir!"

As the recruits sprinted on different direction, the D.I. sighed.

"Damn it...first, we have some freak weather storm and have to cancel the whole day...now, I have to explain just how an infant appeared on my doorstep...can this get any more damn brilliant?"


	2. Losses and Accidents

**All in all, I had 3 reviews, 10 Story Favorites, and 18 Story Follows...that was actually more then I thought I would have, haha. Anyway, thanks o the people who enjoyed it, I'll try my best to not disappoint you.**

**Anyway, I like to keep these sort of things to a short, but direct point.**

**Here's the second chapter of my story, hopefully you will all enjoy it!**

**...**

As he laid down perfectly still on the soft grass below him, he slowly lifted his gun, aligning his eyesight with the scope. He carefully switched between distances, using the enhancements to zoom in further, as he attempted to make visual contact with his target. Squirming slightly, he adjusted his M27 Infantry Rifle, which was strapped across his back. Despite his training, he could never fully get used to the sheer weight of all his equipment.

Then again, none of his unit did either.

"C'mon, you dirty son of a bitch...I know you're there, just step out...I have your present right here..." he whispered quietly, as a small smirk spread through his face. He could feel the hot, and humid heat from the surrounding forest bearing down upon him.

_"Sergeant, have you made visual, yet? I'm approximately a half-mile your right, on your two-o-clock...I'm at the foot of the rear gate, awaiting your clearance, sir" _stated a female voice riddled in light static, from his earpiece. Sighing, he wiped a bead of swear from his forehead, before he reached to press a button on his earpiece.

"That's a negative, not yet...I have confirmation on his position, but the target has yet to exit the building...I have my sights on two guards at the door, but I don't know if there's any more hidden, inside..." he replied, steadying his Barrett M82 sniper rifle, he took a deep breath. He was approximately three-quarters of a mile south of the guards, and there was a soft headwind coming from the North-East. Carefully, he adjusted his aim, as he placed his store's marker just a bit off from the guards, who were luckily standing in a clean line.

_"Sir, we don't have much time, and my window of opportunity is closing down...Sergeant, can you buy me a few minutes, sir? I'll make my way into the compound, and attempt to take out our guy in person"_

"Alright, I got it, let me just..."

As he trailed off his sentence, he squeezed the trigger, as the sharp recoil knocked him backwards a few inches. Catching a glimpse, however, he smirked as he watched the single shot make its mark on the guards; piercing their heads, cleanly.

"You got your window, Corporal! You better make this count!" he yelled, as he whirled around, tossing his M82 into a nearby hidden humvee. As a series of gunshots began to ring through the air, he ducked down onto the ground, before making his way behind a fallen log.

"Say hello, to my little friend!" he yelled, as he pulled forth his Barrett. Within a split second, he began to unload bullet after bullet of automatic firepower. The guards who bad attempted to get near his position, were quickly mowed down, with the exception of the few that reacted quick enough to take cover.

_"Damn it Sergeant! Are you trying to call down the entire Cartel!? I can hear the gunfire from all the way where I'm at!" _screamed the female voice from his earpiece, as he grimaced.

They needed the mission to be completed without any casualties, and as it was, they were currently on their own. The nearest reinforcements, were currently in Southern Mexico, and that was nearly a few days trip. They needed to hold out until then, and a firefight was only going to shorten their timespan. He had no choice, but to retreat further into the jungle, so as to avoid further confrontation.

"Corporal, how close are you to completeing objective? We have to move now! I repeat, get on the move!" he snapped, as he leapt into the humvee vehicle, flooring the engine.

_"Aye, Pierce, I have visual on the target! I'm taking the sho-shit! C'mon, assholes! I got a clip with your names on it! Da-"_

Before she could finish her reply, a series of gunshots on the opposite end of the line cut her off. Pierce couldn't help, but curse under his breath, before spinning the wheel, turning the humvee 180 degrees. Hitting the gas once more, he began to shoot down a nearby dirt road.

"Corporal Williams! Are you alright!?" he asked loudly, as he continued to speed up. He could now see the rear gate, as numerous guards scrambled to get out of the way.

He could no longer hear anything, besides dead silence.

_"I got...the target...sir.." _answered a familiar female voice, much to his short-lived relief.

"What is your statu-"

_"You are lucky, American...we end her nicely...no rape, no humiliation..." _interrupted a low, and rough voice

"Who the hell is this!? Where is Corporal Williams"

_"Sorry, Sergeant...I...didn't make it clean..." _whispered a quiet Williams, as she groaned in pain. He didn't know where they were, but he could tell that Williams was putting up a struggle, as they walked through a hard-dirt surface. It was when he halted the truck to a complete stop, that Pierce witnessed the sight a quarter-mile before him.

Williams was on her knees, blindfolded, in front of the Cartel compound. A guard was holding a gun to her head.

_"This is a message to you Americans"_

With those words, a single gunshot echoed throughout the forest, as the female Marine fell to the ground, dead.

...

"What are we going to do, now that Konoha is moving in on the Iwa camps? We have two military powers at our doorstep, and we have yet to even form a security branch in Ame, Nagato..." stated an Azure-haired woman, as she tied her hair into a ponytail, allowing only her bangs to hang free.

"We are still on course to completing the initial stages of our plan, Konan...Deidara and Sasori are on theit way towards Kumo, as we speak" replied Nagato, as the red-haired shinobi crossed his arms, staring out the window of the infamous Amegakure Tower.

From his vantage point, he bore an overview of the entirety of Amegakure, down to the very citizens.

"Kumo?...what's in Kumo, that you would send our top shinobi? We're low on men, as it is, Nagato...care to explain why you did such a thing?" asked Konan, not once blinking, as she maintained a cold and distant look. She was not one for emotions, nor was she the kind of person that would ever allow weakness to show. Her personality, and mannerisms as a whole, were the results of years spent in the slums of Ame. Fending for her own, before she and Nagato were discovered by Hanzou, who took them in as a demand for shinobi.

"With Ei's recent death during the Seige of Suna, the village has been in a state of turmoil...although it is true, that the Nibi Jinchuuriki has recently stepped up as Raikage, she has been aiding in calming down and organizing her civilians and shinobi...but there is also a fairly-sized portion of dissidents, that are seeking a more deliberate village...one that is not afraid to attack, when an opening occurs..."

"You plan on having Deidara and Sasoru turn these possible rebels, into shinobi of Ame?" asked Konan, as she leaned against a wall, closing her eyes as she attempted to play out the various situations that Nagato's power move could lead to.

Over the past few years, due to Hanzou's ailing health, and Konoha's power status, Ame had been unable to solidify itself as a shinobi village. For the most part, however, they were left alone, due to Konoha's level of sheer strength. It wasn't until Kumo and Iwa joined armies, that Konoha was pushed to a stalemate.

"Precisely, just as I have a spy doing the same in Konoha, at this moment"

As she lifted her head up to speak, Nagato turned around, walking over to his desk, before leaning over it to write down something on a piece of paper.

"What are you doing?" asked Konan, her calm and cold face serving its purpose in masking her curiosity. It was her greatest talent as a shinobi, one that she used every waking moment. From the split-second that she woke up, to the very hours that passed as she slept, not once did she break her continuous act.

"I'm writing a letter to Suna...with the recent attack by Kumo, and the damage they suffered, I believe they are now more willing to...accept our conditions of truce..." he answered, casting a small and very subtle laugh, before growing silent.

She was, however, used to it.

Both she and Nagato were amongst Ame's greatest shinobi. Second only to Hanzou, whom was now suffering from his failing body. Soon, they would succeed him, but even without his position, they were feared as it was.

Nagato, being the only man to ever fully fight the Yondaime Hokage's Hiraishin no Jutsu, and live.

"...What are you planning Nagato?..." she whispered, her tone so quiet and hidden, that not even her partner could hear it.

She refused to trust anybody, no matter their alleged sincerity.

Hanzou had taught her that much, at least.

...

"I understand the mission was a success, despite...casualties?..." asked a uniformed figure, as he stood before Pierce, who was standing at attention. He held his hands crossed, behind his back, as he awaited his turn to speak.

"Sir, yes, sir" he answered, as he watched the figure look over a packet of papers, occasionally taking a quick glance at Pierce.

"Six years of service...over twenty different missions...only three losses, Staff Sergeant...with some of the missions you've undertaken, its a wonder you're entire team isn't dead...you certainly have talent, when it comes to leadership..."

"Thank you, sir...but a loss is a loss, and I take full responsibility for the deaths of my men" responded Pierce, earning a nod from his counter-part.

"Spoken like a true Marine...well, son, you completed your final mission for this contract, leaving you at the two-year mark for inactivity...you're free to go, on the condition that war ever break out, you will return immediately..."

"Aye, sir...thank you"

With a small bow, Pierce nodded, before turning around and walking off towards the locker rooms. He'd have to grab his stuff. before leaving.

Staring at the ground, as he came closer to the room, he began to think himself. Remember when he first signed up, meeting Williams for the first time. She had been a loud-mothed girl at the time, barely having graduated...he was the average student, being focused only on himself...they had changed during boot camp, so much. After they attended Marine Combat Training and Job School, they had inadvertently been placed upon the same team.

That was where the friendship had started...but, as a Marine, you weren't allowed to wallow in misery. So he did the quickest thing he could think of.

He pushed the emotions aside, the best he could.

Finally at the locker room, Pierce went to pull out his clothes, deciding to change out of his uniform. Grabbing a small remote, he aimed it at a small stereo nearby, and clicked "play". Immediately, he began to play a song he was familiar with.

As the beat began to play, he moved his head to it, as a smooth, but strong voice rapped to the rhythm played.

_**Out on bail, fresh out of jail,**_

_**It's California dreaming,**_

_**Soon as I stepped on the scene, I'm hearin hoochies screamin**_

_**Fiendin for money and alcohol**_

_**The life of a west side playa where cowards die and it's all ball**_

_**Only in Cali where we riot not rally to live and die**_

_**In L.A. we wearin Chucks not Ballies (that's right)**_

_**Dressed in Locs and khaki suits and ride is what we do**_

_**Flossin but have caution we collide with other crews**_

_**Famous cause we program worldwide**_

_**Let'em recognize from Long Beach to Rosecrans**_

_**Bumpin and grindin like a slow jam, it's west side**_

_**So you know the row won't bow down to no man...**_

"So Williams is...dead?..." asked a man, as he glanced at Pierce, who was busy changing into his civilian attire, while the song continued playing.

A pair of orange cargo shorts, a form-fitting black Underarmour t-shirt, and his signature all-Black and Grey Air Jordan IV shoes. It was the same combination he always preferred, not a single aspect off.

"Yeah" he replied, his tone brisk and cold, letting the man know just how little the blonde cared for conversation at the moment. He couldn't blame him, either...but he refused to allow a Marine to wallow in self-pity.

"You need to move on, Pierce...I feel for the loss, I do,Williams was a damn good Marine, and an even better human being...but she knew the risk of death, that came with that mission...did you? Did you forget, that none of us are immortal?" he asked, pausing as Pierce froze in place. He would have honestly sworn, that the blonde even stopped breathing.

"...no...we all die...and we all move on" he answered, shaking his head, before turning to face the man.

"Take care, Roman, peace, brother" he smiled, as the two clasped right hands, pulling each other in for a shoulder bump.

"Peace, man...so what are you going to do now, man? Infantry isn't an easy job, man, but it doesn't do jack-shit for you on the outside, dude" asked Roman, as Pierce let out a small laugh.

"I signed an Eight-year contract, man...six years went to active duty on the expeditionary squad...now I have two years, of inactive duty...I'm taking the money I saved up, and hitting the road on my bike, man" he answered, earning laugh from Roman.

"No matter what the fuck happens with your ass, you're always running to that damn motorcycle, man! Haha, just make love to it, man, get it over with"

Pierce grinned, before shaking his head, as he sighed.

"Nah, but in all honesty, man...I love that Ninja bike, man...the sisters at the Church got me the engine when I was fourteen, and I spent all of high school, building that thing up..."

"...Pierce...I think you're in love with that bike...you're in love with a machine, bro, haha!" chuckled the dark-skinned Marine, as he placed a hand on Pierce's head, shuffling his hair around.

At Six-Two, the man towered over Pierce's Five-Nine height, and lean frame.

"Yeah, at least I got my bike, man, what do you have? You're mic skills?" smirked Pierce, as he brought the longtime joke that Roman shared an uncanny resemblance to the rapper Fifty Cent.

"...ass" he replied, smiling, as the blonde walked away.

Looking at the ground, Roman took one final long look at Pierce's retreating form.

It had been an interesting tour, from the very beginning for everybody, but none more so then Peirce's. Despite excellent tactical knowledge, he had lost three men under his watch, due to bad timing on their parts. As a Marine, you were never allowed much time to grieve, nor were you expected to.

You simply moved on, and sucked it up...

"I wonder what he's thin-"

As he was forming his sentence, a sudden tremor shook the base, causing Roman to fall over, before realizing there was a sharp light coming from Pierce's direction.

"Sergeant!" roared the man,as he dashed forward, in an attempt to catch sight of the Marine.

All he could see as he turned the corner, however, was a smoldering crater.

...

"You called, Sensei?" asked a young raven-haired man, as he stood before the familiar form of the Yondaime Hokage, who was busy overlooking the village,

"Sasuke?...you're early...yes, I called you, to hear the reports of how your recent mission went...how did my daughter do?"

Letting out a sheepish grin, Sasuke scratched his head, a habit he had picked up from his former mentor.

"Er, well...yeah..she, uh...she's a handful, sir...she's very loyal and dedicated to the team, but...she's...well...for lack of a better term...short-fused..."

Blinking, Minato casted Sasuke the most blank expression, before chuckling.

"So you're saying she reflects her mother?" he replied, earning an embarrassed smirk from the Uchiha.

"Yes, sensei...she's very talented, though...I don't think I've ever seen anybody pick up jutsu so quickly, aside from..well..."

"Uchiha?" finished Minato, as Sasuke nodded.

A few years prior, when Sasuke had been taking his Jonin Exams, there had been an incident in which Itachi accused the Uchiha of plotting a rebellion. Minato was able to provide damage control, but the Uchiha were set on their plans.

A few had switched sides, and turned to Minato, but the others...

"There's no reason to be ashamed of who your clan is, Sasuke...there's always bound to be bad apples in every bunch, no matter where you look...I'd suggest, you learn to accept yourself, and not allow the mistakes of others to weigh you down...otherwise, you'll turn into some emotionally-depressing brat.."

"Understood, sensei...oh, I have a question!...where would I go to apply my team for the Churning Exams, sir?"

"You're going to nominate them for the Exams here?"

"Hai, Sensei...they might have their personal flaws, but I believe that they can manage it"

Scratching his chin, Minato ran a finger through his growing chin-strap.

"I'm in charge of accepting, or denying, a team's entry...I'll have to give them a hidden test, but...I don't see why not...bring them here tomorrow at noon, I suppose"

"Understood, sens-"

"Minato! You need to come quick!" yelled a female voice, As Kushina bursted through his office door. Immediately Minato and Sasuke readied themselves for an attack, but relaxed slightly when they saw the redhead.

"Why? What happened?"

"There was an explosion near the outskirts of the village, and some man dropped out of nowhere!"

Sighing, Minato let out a soft laugh, before shaking his head.

"It was just a training exercise, Kushina, don't worr-"

"Minato, YOU BAKA! The guy looks just like you!" screams Kushina, earning the Simon's attention.

"Wh-what?.."

"Minato..,he said...he said his birthday was the Tenth of October, but that...he never knew his family..."


	3. Getting Acquainted

**What's up? Here's the next chapter to Operation: Uzumaki! Thankfully some people actually enjoyed the song, haha.**

**Also, the updates will come slower, since I decided to try and write my first unique story. I doubt it'll even make it far (-_-) but I can try, anyway!**

**I do read often, my favorite author being the famous Orson Scott Card. My models for the feel to the book, however, came mainly from anime and manga. The top influences being Another, Blue Gender, the Gundam series. Above all, however, I took heavy inspiration from the novels Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow, and Shadow of the Hegemon.**

**As I've said before, I prefer to be direct and quick, so read and enjoy!**

**Don't forget to review, while you're at it!**

...

"I'm going to skin your dick off, and mash your balls until they're damn soup, if you don't start talking, asshole!" shouted Anko, as she pulled out a kunai, slamming it directly between Pierce's legs, just a centimeter away from his most sensitive parts. Letting out a grin, however, he simply licked his lips, enjoying how easy it was to get a reaction out of the young woman. Even if she could have actually killed a few dozen times, in the past half hour.

That was including the fact that he'd been here for nearly a week, too. Which meant that there was a reason they'd held back on their threats. They wanted him alive and safe for some reason, though he had no clue why.

"Mm, keep talking dirty like that baby, I just love it rough..." he replied, faking a soft moan in pleasure. Might as well get some entertainment out his current situation.

Grabbing her hair, Anko let out a frustrated growl, before kicking over her chair.

"What fucking village are you from, you asshole!? Who the fuck trains their shinobi to be so damn infuriating!?" she screamed, before a nearby door opened, as a dark-haired Uchiha walked in.

"Anko-san, take a break...I will continue from here" he stated, earning a glare from the kunoichi. Anko waved it off, before giving Pierce the finger, as he smiled and blew her a kiss.

He quickly drew a serious face, however, as the Uchiha sat down across from him.

"So are you going to continue interrogating me, pretty bo-"

Before Pierce could continue, a pair of crimson-red eyes locked onto his.

"Wh-What the hell!?" he shouted, knocking his seat aside, as he jumped back in surprise.

"I see...you're not a shinobi...you do not know about the Sharingan?" asked the Uchiha, as he stood up to examine Pierce.

"The Sha-what?...look, asshole, I don't know what kind of freak experiments people are doing around here, but you aren't getting shit from me! Where I come from, red eyes like that are called a damn medical condition!" yelled Pierce, as he backed away from the Uchiha, who was lost in thought.

"...you are not a regular civilian, nor are you some common bandit...your reflexes were instinctive, and knew immediately to react to what you perceived as a danger..." mumbled the Uchiha, as Pierce cast him a look of incredulous.

"Bandit?...are you fuckers drunk, or something? Shinobi? Civilians? Do you not recognize an American uniform, or something?" asked Pierce, as he pointed at his clothing.

They had at least allowed him to change in his military attire, when he had been found with his normal clothes burnt up.

"...American?...is that your village?"

"What is it with you people and villages!? What are we in, Medieval Times?"

"Judging by your reactions, I can come to three possible conclusions...you are not of the shinobi lands, you are suffering from memory loss, or you are lying...I would know if it was the third, and we could tell if it was the second...which begs the question, where are you from? And what sort of cultures contains technology and weapons such as these?" asked the Uchiha, as he placed Pierce's M16 on the table.

Suddenly, Pierce was thankful that he placed a trigger-guard on it. He had seen too many clueless people turns things to hell, by handling a weapon they knew nothing about. Though, the fact that this guy didn't know what a rifle was, made him actually consider being in medieval times...

"...you really don't know what America is?...where am I? What nation are we in?" he asked, hoping the guy was actually messing with him.

"You're in Konohagakure, one of the Five Great Villges...this Hi no Kuni, the Land of Fire..."

"...let me see a map, an international map would be even better..." stated Pierce, as a thought began to occur to him. One that he remembered from long ago.

"Would it aid you in telling any information?" asked the Uchiha, as he pulled out a scroll from his pouch. Pierce took more of this, but silently kept it to himself. There weren't many cultures known for having used scrolls...and only one could cross-reference with ninja...

"Yes, it would...far more then you can realize..." replied Pierce, before he placed a map of the world next to the scroll, which the Uchiha had extended before him.

Taking a sample of the shinobi's outline, he attempted to place it next to any possible region that could match it. When that didn't yield results, Pierce enlarged the region, then compacted it.

Yet, still no area on Earth matched the map they had given him.

"...I...believe...well...shit...not a single nation matches your map...this isn't Earth..."

"By any chance would you be able to inform us, as to who you are then?..."

"...Sergeant Derrick Pierce of the United States Marine...graduated Basic Training with Golf Company, Second Battalion...I've conducted missions in multiple countries...not that it matters now, apparently..."

"Anbu Chief of Command, Uchiha Itachi...this title...Sergeant...is it a high rank within your military? How large were your forces?..." asked the Uchiha, as he studied Pierce.

"...we held the smallest branch of the United States Armed Force...no, I am at the middle of the Enlisted branch...we hold approximately two-hundred-thirty-thousand U.S. Marine..." he answered, causing Itachi's heart to pause.

"...and the largest?"

"The Army?...roughly a little over a million soldiers..."

Itachi withheld a frown, before reading Pierce's body language and chakra signature.

Not a single thing he read, pointed to Pierce lying.

Whatever this nation was, it held more military presence then the shinobi nations combined at their peaks.

"...I trust you are not here on hostile terms?" asked Itachi, as he stood up. Pierce simply shook his head, but blinked in surprise as the Uchiha handed him his weapon.

"...you're returning it?"

"I will gamble my faith in your words...I believe that you are not here as an enemy, but as a wanderer...I will await further orders from our Hokage, but I do have a question...what sort of music do you call this?" asked Itachi, as he held out Pierce's iPod.

Taking a look at the screen, Pierce let out a snort of laughter.

Rammstein.

"Nar-Naruto?..." asked a trembling voice, causing Pierce and Itachi to turn around. Behind him, just under the doorway, stood a red-haired woman, in her late thirties, her hand covering her mouth. He couldn't quite place it, but she seemed...familiar.

"Kushina-san?" asked Itachi, as Kushina walked up to Pierce and gently reached up touch his cheek. Pierce simply blinked, as he began to feel an awkward tension rise.

"...um...hello?...my name is...Pierce...is this some sort of weird custom you guys have?..." he asked Itachi, who froze as a tall blonde figure walked into the room, just behind Kushina. Tis time, however, Naruto also stopped his movement, as he observed the newly arrived man.

He could have sworn, the man was an exact aged replica version of himself...

"Naruto..." whispered the man, as Pierce rolled his eyes.

"Okay, who or what the hell is Naruto?...everybody keeps repeating that word, and it really is getting annoying..."

"That...that's your name...Naruto..." replied Kushina, as she looked Pierce over.

"Huh?...no, no, no...my name is Derrick Pierce...not Naru-"

"Pierce?...no, you're Narut-"

Taking a step back, Pierce turned around and grabbed his rifle, before looking at Itachi, who handed him his iPod. Attaching the weapon to a strap, he slung it behind his back, before looking at the Uchiha and the others, as he nodded.

"Look, not that I care to be an asshole, but if you'll excuse me...I have to look for a way back home, and sitting here answering questions isn't going to help me...now, if it's not to much to ask for, can somebody show me to a hotel or something? I could use a place to get a good night's rest later, and possibly some places that have decent food" stated Pierce, as Kushina withdrew as she turned to the accompanying man behind her.

"Minato, we have to te-"

"He can come with me, I'll show him around...you two will need time to discuss recent events...keep this in mind, Pierce is twenty-four, Kushina-san...he's just barely younger then Kakashi-senpai" interrupted Itachi, as Pierce nodded in agreement.

No offense to the couple, but the lady creeped him out.

"That's a good idea...Itachi, would you go and check to see if any of the hotels are available? It might a tight fit, with the churning exams coming up..."

"If anything, Minato-sama, he can stay with Anko-san, she'll be more then happier to have him over...but I'm sure he'll enjoy watching the Churning Matches first" replied Itachi, earning a curious look from Pierce.

Who the fuck was An-

Oh.

Right...

...

"I hate crowds..." sighed Konan, as she made her way through the numerous people, toward the entry gates of Konoha.

It had been a few days ago, that Nagato had ordered her to meet with his spy in Konoha, as he liked to always check on his subordinates. It had been one of the qualities he possessed as a shinobi, that had allowed him to rise in power, under Hanzou's.

His tendency to never leave any single detail to chance.

"Well, you seemed to have arrived rather early, Konan-san..." smiled a silver-haired teen, as he corrected his glasses.

Looking to her side, she locked her Amber eyes onto his form, before taking note of a subtle tattoo near the base of his neck.

Amegakure's village symbol.

"You're Kabuto, I assume?" she asked, not once blinking.

Kabuto nodded, before pulling out a large yellow envelope, and handing it off to her. Konan merely took it,as she began to open it in order to see the documents within.

"These are my entry papers, I can assume?..." she asked once more, as she examined each sheet carefully.

Certification of birth, present.

Papers of travelling clearance, check.

Past criminal record summary, check.

"Yes, Konan-san, every necessary document is within the envelope, and should you wish, I may be able to quickly get you a hote-"

"That will be necessary, Kabuto...I have decided to observe the Chunin prospects within this tournament...something tells me that this will hold interesting results..."

...

"You're not very organized in terms of military structure, you know that, Itachi?" stated Pierce, as be watched the numerous children train within the Academy grounds. Behind the Academy, in the near distance, was a mountainside that held four carved out faces. He could assume they were the four "Hokage" leaders, past and present.

Just like the...mountain range...in the U.S...

"How so?" asked the Uchiha, as he handed the blonde a fresh hotdog from one of the serious vendors.

Taking the piece of food, Pierce took a large bite, before losing himself to the amazing flavors. Having been in the Central and South American jungles for a few months, he'd grown accustomed to simple military rations.

"Mm...this is amazing...I'm sorry, where was I?"

"You mentioned, that despite the shinobi structure of our military, we are rather disheveled?"

"Oh, right...well, see...while it is very true, that you are shinobi, and you have a very different way of life...you're very basic, in terms of ranks, and how to guarantee success of higher missions...for example, a team can take any mission correspondent to their skills and rank...but you don't bother to isolate their actual talents, to further improve the odds of success...are you still with me?"

"Somewhat, yes...I believe you're pointing at further specifying classes of missions, and specializing teams for those missions?"

"Exactly...for example, I could suggest, that at the Genin level, all missions are given to General teams...at the Chunin rank, you will begin to approach a basic level of leading shinobi into specialized fields...by the time a shinobi reaches their Jonin rank, they will have a field they excel in...my final suggestion, however, is that you actually train students within your Academy to deal with intense pressure"

"Are we really taking advice from this asshole?...no, wait,the better question s why the he'll are we even letting him walk around like he's some damn citizen?" asked Anko, as she stood behind Itachi, with her arms crossed. She still refused to like the guy one damn bit, because of how he had caused her to lose her cool earlier that day.

Pierce let out a grin, before smirking at her.

Looking to their left, he could see one of the teachers struggling to keep his class in order, as the children ran wild during their training. Motioning towards them, he lead Anko and Itachi to the teacher, who shook his head in frustration.

"So who's the teacher?"

"Iruka? He's a Chunin, mid-ranking shinobi that chose to become a teacher for the upcoming Ninja Genin"

"Basically a recruiter then, huh? Well, this will be my example, of the difference between my training in contrast to yours...so watch" replied Pierce, as he made his way towards the man.

"Iruka-san, we will take it from here..." stated Itachi, as Iruka shrugged.

It was apparent that he had given up on the class a while back, rather simply keeping himself to minimal restraint.

"ALRIGHT! EVERYBODY FREEZE!" roared Naruto, catching Anko and Itachi off-guard. Immediately, the class stopped in their tracks, glancing at the blonde.

"Who the hell are you?" asked one of the students, as he walked up to Pierce.

"That's none of your concern, maggot...now get back with the class..." growled Pierce, earning a look of curiosity from Anko.

"Hey! You're not the teacher, so I don't have to take anything from you!" laughed the kid, causing Anko to glare at them. She hated brats.

No sooner did the kid laugh, however, when Pierce grabbed his arm, twisting it behind his back, causing the kid to fall to his knees. He didn't anticipate, however, that the kid would flip over so easily.

"Repeat that line, student!?" yelled Pierce, as Anko and Itachi tensed up instantly.

"Ah! Ow! Let go of me!"

"I said to repeat your statement, student! Now!"

"Screw you, old man!"

"I'm sorry, Anko, was that what he said earlier?" he asked the kunoichi, who blinked for a few times, before smiling sweetly.

"I...I don't believe so...so what did you say again, kid?" asked Anko, earning a smile from Pierce.

So this is what the drill instructors felt like...

"Ah! Okay! Okay! I'm sorry!"

Letting go of the kid, Pierce pushed him backwards, before pointing at a group of giggling girls.

"Is this a joke to you!? Well!? Is this some giant joke!?" he barked, causing Anko to bite her lip to stifle a laugh.

The fucker was an asshole...but an asshole who knew how to teach.

"N-no, si-sir..." stuttered one of the girls, causing Pierce to roll his eyes.

"Wh-what's th-tha-that?...SPEAK UP! I CANT HEAR YOU!"

"No, sir!"

"That's better, student!...now, I want you to walk up to Anko, and I want you to tell her, that she dresses inappropriately!"

Casting Anko a wink, the kunoichi nodded in joy. She hadn't had this much fun in a while...

"An-Anko...sen-sensei...you dress...you dr-dress..."

"Hm? I'm sorry, kid, I can't understand BABBLING BRATS! Speak up clearly!" shouted Anko, causing the girl to begin crying.

Looking around, Pierce noticed one particular girl, with pale eyes that lacked pupils, staring at him. Walking up to where she was standing, he crossed his arms, before realizing the kid had changed her gaze to Itachi, who was now standing next to him.

"What are you staring at, student? You think I'm cute?" asked the Uchiha, in a tone so blank and controlled, Pierce could have sworn it was an automated machine.

Shaking her head, the girl stepped back.

"No, sir!"

"Oh, so you're saying I'm ugly, then? You think I'm hideous, student?" replied he Uchiha, earning a nervous head shake from the kid.

"N-no, sir?"

"Well, which is it, student? Am I cute or ugly?" asked Itachi once more, his face maintaining a calm expression.

"Er...I mean...uh..."

"What's your name, student?"

Caught off guard by the sudden change in question, the kid began to fumble for a response, only earning a stronger gaze from the Uchiha.

"Uh...my name is...uh..."

"Uh? So you're name is Uh, then?"

"N-no, sir! My name is...my name is...

"Well? What's your name, student? I can't hear you...is your name Uh, then? I'm aboutt to start calling you Uh, student, if you don't give me a clear answer, right now"

"M-my name is Hanabi!"

"Ah, well, the girl can actually talk properly...when I say Byakugan, I want you to do a push up, understood?"

"Yes, si-

"Byakugan" stated Itachi, not awaiting a single moment to pass. He simply watched, as the Hyuuga female dropped to the ground to complete the push up.

"Do it again, straighten your back...no, too fast, slow down...now you're lagging, speed up...don't rock with the motion, do another one..."

Observing from a few feet away, Anko couldn't help but admire at how the kids had quickly changed attitudes. Within a few minutes, they had dropped the rebellious persona, and turned into actual shinobi trainees.

"Well, does that give the rest of you an idea, of just how things work around here!?" yelled Pierce, as the remaining kids nodded quickly.

"And if we hear one more damn complaint, we're coming back, maggots!" added Anko, before walking off towards Itachi. Once her and Pierce were out of earshot distance, Anko let out a wide grin, as she glanced at the blonde man.

"See?...that's what happens, simply after a few yellings...those kids were what? Newbies?" asked Pierce, before earning a slight sigh from his female companion, who shook her head.

"...that was our alleged top class..." she whispered, earning a sigh from Pierce, who rubbed his temples.

"You people need more structure, and discipline, within your training programs...you might believe you have loyalty, but the truth is you're still employing crude and raw programs to prepare your successors"

Looking at Pierce, then back to Itachi, Anko shrugged.

The guy did have an excellent point...but she simply enjoyed messing with the brats.

"Pierce, I was wondering if you could do me a favor, assuming it not too much to ask?"

Glancing at Itachi, the blonde male nodded, before crossing his arms.

"Possibly, depending on what the favor is"

"Could you show us, just how you use you weapon?"

"My M-16?...maybe, but I'm low on ammunition, so I have a limited amount on how much I can show you...do you have a field, where I can fire, without having to worry about civilians?"

"We could always use Training Ground Fifty-Six?" added Anko, half-sure and half-confused. Pierce shrugged, before reaching behind him to grab his rifle.

May as well get some practice, while he was here.

...

From a moderate distance, the three failed to notice Konan sitting on a bench, examining the scene before her.

"He could be useful..."

...

"What should we do, Bee-sama? Is he an enemy or not?" asked a young dark-skinned woman, as she tossed her red-hair back.

"...all eyes on me...I bet yoh got it twisted, don't know who to trust...so many cowards trying hard to sound like us..." mumbled Bee, as he bobbed his head to the beat of the song he was listening to. He had found the little contraption, a small tablet-like device, earlier in the forest.

He would have normally destroyed it, until the tapped the screen and accidentally began playing the music stored within it

Not that he was complaining.

Whoever this guy, 2Pac, was...he had some heavy flow. He'd have to study their style.

"...the Feds is watching...people plotting to get me, will I survive or will I die, come on let's picture the possibilities..."

"Bee-sama! Pay attention!" shouted the young woman, as she stepped towards the shinobi.

Tripling over the foliage, she landed on top of a pile of round-like objects. Grabbing one, she examined it, before carefully pulling out a pin, and tossing it far behind her.

She let it a scream, as the small sphere exploded, shooting out shrapnel in every direction.

"...huh? I told you I'm a light listener, Karui!...now you made me lose track of the song!...alright...let's see...they even have an interview video with 2Pac!..." shouted Bee, not even bothering to rhyme out his words, as he further buried himself into the video.

Somehow, he didn't know why, but he simply felt great.

Today, was going to be a good day.


	4. First Impressions and Meetings

_**Alright, so far everybody has given mainly positive reviews! Thanks to the people who read this, and followed!**_

_**I apologize for my chapters being short, in comparison to other stories out there, but I prefer avoiding unnecessary filler.**_

_**Read and enjoy!**_

_**Also, give me any suggestions for a story to do if you have any requests! If you have a series you believe I could work with, just put it in a review or PM, whichever one I s quickest!**_

_..._

_"Sergeant! We're nailed down, and we won't last much longer at this rate! Tell me you have a plan!" shouted Williams, as she leaned to the side, firing a series of bursts at the source of the incoming gunfire._

_They had been sent on foot to Baghdad a few days ago, but they had been forced to repeatedly stop for rest breaks. Had it not been bad enough to be stalling on time, they had run low on water and food rations, before having the dumb luck to have come across a small village._

_It was then, however, when a spare group of extremists had spotted them. Immediately, bullets began to fly._

_"Give me cover fire! Williams, take Barnes and protect the left end! Roman! I need you to take Tyson and Parker! Block the front doors, and do not allow any insurgent to pass the front gate! Everybody else, guard the humvees! I'm going to get rid of their vehicles!" answered Pierce, as he watched everybody leap to his orders._

_Ducking down, he grabbed a sniper rifle._

_There were two vehicles, each one with a turret mounted on the back. All he had to do was first hit each driver, within a few second of each other, in order to avoid them escaping on time. Once the drivers were out, the group would panic to replace their getaway men. During that small lapse in organization, the group could proceed to kill them off._

_After that, it'd be like picking off sitting deer._

_"Alright...hold still, you bastard...here comes daddy..." he whispered, as he took a long and deep breath. Readying his scope, he began to steady his grip, as he locked the target marker onto the first drivers head. He was currently parked just in front of the second vehicle, which meant that if killed him...his companion would be forced to shift into reverse...that'd buy him an extra second or two..._

_Letting out his breath, Pierce fired off his first bullet, which immediately tore through the man's head._

_To his luck, the others didn't even realize what had happened, as they focused on avoiding his unit's gunfire._

_Within moments, he fired his second round._

_This time, the turret gunners slapped the vehicle roofs, signaling a retreat, only to realize their drivers were already dead._

_Pierce only watched as Roman and his men moved in, mowing down the remaining forces, who were now busy scattering in every possible direction. The few that avoided Roman, however, we're gunned down by Williams._

_..._

"You seem to be lost in thought, are you alright?" asked a voice, causing Pierce to snap out of his thoughts. He had been sitting on a nearby ledge for a few hours, simply thinking to himself, after having left the training grounds. It was already nearly night, but Itachi had taken a liking to the M-16; interested in the mechanics of the weapon, and the speed of the projectile bullets. He practically had to tear the damn thing away from the Uchiha, like a toy from a child.

"Huh?...oh, sorry, did you need something?" he replied, leaping down to the ground.

"Oh, no...I was just curious...what were you thinking about?" asked the figure, their curved figure clearly visible through the hugging coat. She was beyond a doubt, a female.

"Hm?...I'm sorry, that's just a bit personal...should I ask why a lovely lady such as yourself is walking alone this late, however? Even here, you can never be too careful, mam..." smiled Pierce, earning a small giggle from the woman.

"Is that a threat, sir?..." she asked, shifting innocently. Pierce simply scratched his head sheepishly, before chuckling.

"Maybe it was more of an offer to walk you home?" he stated, his voice softening further, as he held out his and in courtesy. The woman nodded, smiling as she pushed back a loose bang of Azure-colored hair from her face.

"My name is Konan, I'm visiting on vacation...I'm staying at a nearby hotel..." she said, before taking his arm. Pierce simply blushed, before thing his head away shyly.

The woman was after something, and it had to do with him. Women never acted this flirty with random men, unless drunk or with an ulterior motive. Question was, what did she need?...

"Pierce, I'm a Mar-...shinobi..." he lied, managing to stop himself before he let slip too much. Unfortunately, Konan caught on instantly, tightening her group on his arm just slightly.

She could tell he wasn't a shinobi, not a regular one. He held no chakra signature, whatsoever, yet she could tell he was no common civilian or bandit.

Her best guess was that he could be posing as a minor threat, in order to lull enemies in.

And she had played right into it.

"You must be a high ranking shinobi, then...you look very tough..." she smiled, attempting to sneak any clue as to what he was.

"I wouldn't say that, but I'd like to think I can hold my own in a fight"

Damn it, he was avoiding the subject. Did he already know what she was after? She was an excellent liar, and she knew she had played the role of a curious bystander perfectly...unless, he had knowing she had been spying on him?...that had to be it.

Or was it still coincidence? She might have had let off a bit too much of a promiscuous personality...

"So what do you want?" asked Pierce, gently pushing Konan against the edge of the staircase next to her. On instinct, she threw her hands out, grabbing Pierce's sleeve, using him as leverage to flip over him. Landing safely on his opposite, she cursed herself, realizing she had blown her cover, without having needed to.

There was only a two foot fall from the staircase to the ground below, which she could have used to cement proof that she was a regular civilian. Instead, it was obvious she was a shinobi.

"...very well, I ruined my own lie with that little stunt...even if it was accident"

"I don't think I've ever heard of somebody blowing their cover on purpose, you know" stated Pierce, earning a slight eye twitch from Konan.

He had a talent for drawing the irk from even the most disciplines people. A feature that he had heavy pride for.

Shutting down her chakra system, Konan scowled, realizing she'd have to fight her way out without giving away her position to the Anbu. Which meant, no Ninjutsu, nor Genjutsu.

Dashing forward, she attempted to punch Pierce in the jaw, only to have him grab her wrist, twisting it as he slammed her into the ground. Wrenching her arm behind her back, Pierce hoisted her up, thrusting her into a nearby wall. The wall dented in, causing a few to cracks to appear where Konan's body made impact.

The kunoichi clenched her teeth, bearing through the pain, as she whirled around. With a loud pop, she dislocated her trapped shoulder, catching Pierce by surprise, as her free arm's elbow crashed into his face.

"Shit!" he groaned, holding his nose. It had been a while, since anybody had landed a hit on him with such force.

Letting out a gasp of pain, Konan leaped back a few meters to create distance, as she clutched her injured shoulder. She could feel the joint move around, with movement she made.

She'd have to make an escape soon, as it was obvious that Pierce wasn't an amateur at Taijutsu. Pein would be furious that she ruined her cover with this stunt, however, he had to know about the weapon that the blonde was carrying with him.

A dozen of those weapons in capable hands, would give Konoha civilians an edge, on even the most skilled shinobi from a distance.

"So, you didn't...answer my question..." stated Pierce, as he wiped away some blood from his mouth. She had managed to break his nose, with that last elbow strike.

"...I'm just here on a mission...now, stand aside, unless you wish to die, Pierce" replied Konan, circling around the blonde.

"So why not use your chakra? and you lose your edge on me, because the truth is, it's the staple to your entire being...isn't it?" smirked Pierce, as he crouched a bit lower to the lower ground. Konan used the pause to launch herself at Pierce. Using the momentum she slid across the pavement with a sweeping-kick motion, catching Pierce off-guard. Falling off balance, the kunoichi used the brief moment to her weight onto her hands, behind her. Throwing all her weight onto them, she rocked backwards, drop-kicking the blonde on his right-ribcage.

Grunting as his vision blurred from the pain, Pierce wrapped his own arms around her legs, tightening his grip.

The only unique trait that he was known for, that few could match, was his inhumane pain threshold. The ability, that he could bear more physical suffering then others.

"N-no chakra, now your ass is gr-grass!" he growled, causing Konan to re-consider her current tactic.

Normally, she easily could have defeated and killed him, much like toying with a common bandit...however, with her chakra shut down for espionage, she as on even ground with him. Unfortunately, he held much more training then she did, in Taijutsu. He also was able to withstand more direct hits, then what should have been possible for a non-shinobi.

He wasn't a shinobi, but she wouldn't be able to afford to allow him the chance to become one. He would become too dangerous...yet, she couldn't use any jutsu, otherwise security would be alerted.

She quickly snapped out of her thoughts, as a hand grabbed the back of her head, slamming her face into an incoming knee. Feeling the whiplash effect, she recoiled back, only to be slammed onto the pavement below.

She felt the concrete crack, from the sheer force.

How the hell was he exerting so much damn force, without using chakra!?

"Already getting tired? But I thought we had something special happening, Konan, why toss it away so soon?" smirked Pierce, who had already finished recovering from his broken nose.

It had even managed to straighten out...

Did he possess some sort of regenerative bloodline?...

She had severely underestimated the situation, and even worse, overestimated herself. If she wanted any hope to escape, she would need to improvise a plan.

Pierce was expecting a combative tactic, which meant she has to think out of the box...desperate times, called for desperate measures.

Before he could react, Konan formed a series of hand signs, causing a second Konan to appear behind the blonde, causing him to freeze.

"Wh-wha-...mmf!"

Reaching up to his face, the second Konan pulled him in for a kiss, before she pulled away.

"Shouldn't have gotten arrogant" she smiled, slamming him into the ground with a chakra-enhanced hand, before disappearing in a flutter of paper origami. She nearly flinched, however, as his body created a ten-foot wide crater. The hole nearly came up to her knees.

She could see that his body was mangled; his chest was caved in, and his spine was completely shattered.

If he wasn't dead yet, he would be in moments.

"Should have stay focused, yourself" declared a voice, as the fake Konan turned to see who the source of the sudden statement was. Instantly, a foot crashed into her face, sending her flying nearly three blocks away.

The original Konan had already escaped, so her objective was complete regardless.

Pierce dying was a bonus.

"Are you alright?...that was a terrible question, you're gravely injured to an extreme, we need to transport you to the hospit-"

"I'm not down...yet..." laughed Pierce, his voice wheeze and quiet, as he sat up slowly. Kakashi widened his eyes, watching the blonde stand up, numerous bones popping in sequence. He could have worn, his chest we visibly healing itself...what the hell was he?

"Yo-you're...alive?...how are you even able to stand? You're chest was clearly destroyed..." whispered Kakashi, as Itachi and Minato arrived, landing just behind him.

"What happened? We heard some crashes in this direction, but we assumed it was just training..." asked Itachi, taking a few quick glances at the surrounding area. For a shinobi battle, It ended relatively clean...

"Konan appeared, and attacked Pierce...whatever happened prior to my arrival, you'll have to ask him..."

"Konan? From Amegakure? Here?...how did she get through security, exactly? I thought we had tightened those problems out, weeks ago?" asked Minato, as he shot a look of concern at Pierce, who was now popping his arm back into place.

"The bigger question for me, right now, is how our guest managed to heal from a caved in chest, shattered collarbone, and a broken spine, in minutes..." replied Kakashi, earning a looks of curiosity from Minato.

"The answer is...simple..." answered Itachi, as Pierce dusted some dirt off his shoulders.

"And what answer would that be?" questioned the young man, throwing the Uchiha a glance, signaling him to continue.

"This is a world different to yours, that much is clear...what everybody forgot to take into account, was how your body would react to a different atmosphere and gravity factor...I'm pretty sure that we have different gas elements in the air, that are far different to his...and your ability earlier, when you disciplined the academy without exerting even minimal effort, even when our most basic students have fundamental knowledge in physical combat...your muscles were accustomed to a much higher degree of gravity, which was why you underestimated your strength...I believe that would also explain how you survived your encounter with Konan..."

"You know, I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that I'm in a parallel dimension...planet...world...look, point is, I don't need all this physics and human anatomy stuff...so where is this Konan from, anyhow? This isn't the only village, is it?" asked Pierce, earning nods from everybody.

"No, it's not...we'll explain it on the way to the hospital, first we need to make sure you're truly recovered"

"If you're going to insist on a hospital visit, then answer my questions first. Who is Konan? Why did she infiltrate the village? Most importantly, tell me just what reason or motive, she could have possessed that would have convinced her to attack me"

Taking a deep breath, Minato stepped forward.

"It's a long story, but essentially, she's an elite shinobi from a war-torn village...they have the severe misfortune to be located directly in between every one of the Great Villages...I can assume, that you're able to picture the effect that has had on ther home in a historical manner?"

Nodding, Pierce crossed his arms.

"I'm going after her, then...I'm down to scope out the rest of the land, and hopefully I can find out just how to get back home"

"Hold on, you can't just leave with it permis-"

"Technically, it's within his full right, as a non-affiliated individual...he was already cleared under your order, Hokage-sama, so there's nothing within our legal jurisdiction to force him to stay" interrupted Itachi, leaving Minato gaping.

"If anything, however, I say we teach him about chakra" added Kakashi, earning a curious glance from Pierce.

"Why would you teach me that? How do you know I won't use it against you?"

"You'd be dead before you could even use it, believe me" replied Itachi, as he activated his Sharingan.

Sighing, Pierce shrugged in surrender.

"May as well work out the body, I guess"

...

"So I heard there's a new guy in town, Sasuke..." yawned Shikamaru, as the Uchiha took a bit of his steak.

"Yeah, so? Itachi said he was just a regular civilian that got lost...I doubt he'll stay long, he seems to be a wanderer" he responded, swallowing the food lazily. He rarely ever showed emotion, beyond curiosity and the occasional grin.

"You're not curious as to who he is? I heard he's been spending a lot of time with Anko and Itachi, ever since he showed up here"

"So? Itachi generally tends to be involved wit anything new in the village, whether little or vital...I usually don't bother putting stock not what he doesn't, unless he says otherwise...my example being, when he told us not to go look for what was under Kakashi's mask..."

Rolling his eyes, Shikamaru groaned in agreement.

"I should have paid attention that time, and simply avoided the whole ordeal with Ino and Sakura's constant screeching...my ears are still somewhat numb from that night..."

"I did my best to warn you, so for once, I'm completely innocent of any and all potential charges"

"Sasuke, Shikamaru! To the Western Gate! Emergency mission briefing, they're taking a small platoon into Amegakure!" yelled Sakura, running into the restaurant. In second, numerous men ad women shot up.

War.

...

"Is that truly all the effort you are able to put towards survival?" asked Pein, as he slammed the final bandit into the ground, before inpaling him with a thin black rod.

He didn't know why, but he felt as if he was on an adrenaline rush; the entire world seeming lighter to his touch. Though, in truth, it could have been him still growing accustomed to the Rinnegan.

"Wh-what...ar-are...you?..." gasped one of the men, as he crawled against a tree, attempting to catch his breath.

"...I'm your god...but, there's no need to burden yourself with praying...because I'm here now...and I'm fresh out of mercy..."


End file.
